Fluid-operated engine.



PATENTBD 0.0T. 13, 1903'. B. v. 'NORDBERG. FLUID OPERATED ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26. 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1 N0 MODEL.

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PATBNTED OCT. 13, 1903. B. V.'NORDBERG. FLUID OPERATED ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26. 1903,. v

4 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

PATENTEDOOT. 31s, 190av B. v. INORDBERG. :FLUID OPERATED ENGINE" APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26. 1903. J

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H0 MODELt PATENTED 001; 13, 1903 B. v. NORDBERG. FLUID OPERATED ENGINE.

EPPLIOATIOK FILED JUNE 26-,1903.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

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UNITED STATES Patented October 13, 1903.

PATENTIOFFIQE- FLUID-OPERATED ENGINE.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,536, dated October 13, 1903.

Application filed June 26, 1903. Serial No. 163,261. (No model.)

'To all whom, it may concern:

' subject of the Grand Dukeof Finland, resid ing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fluid-Operated Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention, pertains to improvements in fluid operated engines 7 and the means for controlling the same, the engine being designed particularly to deliver a sharp or heavy blow through its piston-rod. The improved construction is adapted more especially for use in connection with ore-stamps, power-hammers, pile-drivers, and the like.

The invention is best shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the engine, the base and lower end of the piston-rod being broken away; Fig. 2, a vertical sectional view thereof; Fig. 3, a horizontal sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a vertical sectional view of the throttle-valve casing or shell, taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 8; Fig. 5, a side elevation of the valve-actuating stem and the valve carried thereby; Fig. 6, a similar view looking at the valve at right angles to the position shown'in Fig. 5; Fig. 7, a horizontal sectional View on the line 4 40f Fig. 4; Fig. 8, a similar View on the line 4 4 of Fig. 4; Fig. 9, a'similar view, on a some what'enlarged scale, on the line 4 4 of Fig. 4; Fig. 10, a similar view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 11 a perspective view of the lower end of the valve-operating mechanism. The inventi0n,as above stated,pertains particularly to steam-engines of that type in which the piston-rod or stamp-shaft is directly connected to the steampiston, the pressure of the steam on the piston working with the weight of the stamp-shaft to efiect the blow, said shaft being lifted by steampressure acting on the lower side of the piston.; This operation is controlled by a valvegear, which distributes the steam to both ends of the cylinder. 7 The valve-gear is usually driven bya belt from any suitable source stamps, and will hereinafter be described as applied to a machine of this character. So far as I am aware, all stamps of this kind heretofore built have been of the single-cylinder type, in which the steam is used without any appreciable expansion. Such machines are for this reason very wasteful of fuel; and the object of the present invention is to produce a construction which will be more economical in the use of fuel than those heretofore employed. With this object in view compounding is resorted to, there being a high and a'low pressure piston attached to a rod common to both high and low pressure cylinders, forming an arrangement similar to that known as a steeple compound engine.

It is, however, very difficult to regulate an ordinary steeple compound engine when operating a stamp, as in such case no means are provided for limiting the length of the upstroke, and consequently there is danger of striking the upper cylinder-heads. The lift of the present style of stamps is regulated by means of a separate valve for the admission of steam to the lower end of the cylinder. If the ordinary steeple-compound enginebe used, independent regulatingdevices must be provided for the lower ends of both cylinders; but such appliances would be difficult to operate and, in fact, impracticable. In the usual construction of stamps of this class the lower end ofv the cylinder is made so long that the piston cannot strike the lower head if the rock in the mortar gets too low. This results in a large amount of clearancespace in the bottom of the cylinder, causing considerable loss of energy. In an ordinary steeple compound engine this loss would ocour in both cylinders and would very much impair the economy of such a stamp. With my improved engine the high-pressure cylinder is double-acting, while the low-pressure cylinder is single-acting, the cylinders being provided with suitable automatic valve mechanismsuch, for instance, as Corliss valves. An independent inlet and outlet valve is arranged at each end of the high-pressure cylinder, the low-pressure cylinder being provided with an independent inlet and outlet valve at its upper end, while at the lower end there is no valve, said end being in perm'a-' nent communication with the condenser. A

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throttle-valve is used on the high-pressure cylinder and is so arranged that the steamsupply may be regulated independently for the upper and lower ends of said cylinder.

Referring to the drawings, A denotes the base or standard of the engine; B, the highpressure cylinder; 0, the low-pressure cylinder, and D the piston-rod, which, as shown in Fig. 2, is connected directly to the pistons E and F, working in the high and low pressure cylinders, respectively.

G denotes the throttle-valve shellor casing, which is provided with two ports or passages H and I, Figs. 2 and 4, the passage H being connected to a steam chest or chamber J, in which works an inlet-valve K, leading to the upper end of the high-pressure cylinder. The port or passage I communicates with a chest or chamber L, which leads to the lower end of the high-pressure cylinder, the passage being controlled by a valve M.

The exhaust for the high-pressure cylinder is controlled by valves N and O, mounted at the upper and lower ends thereof, respectively, the exhaust passing directly into a chamber P and thence into a receiver Q. From said receiver it passes through a valve R to the upper end of the low-pressure cylinder. The exhaust for the upper end of said cylinder is controlled by a valve S, which is in communication with a condenser through a passage or chamber T and pipe U, which latter leads directly to the condenser.

As will be seen upon reference to Fig. 2, the lower end of the low-pressure cylinder has no valve mechanism whatsoever; but formed around said end is a passage or channel V, which is in direct communication with the lower end of the cylinder through openings W, Figs. 2 and 3, said channel in turn being connected with pipe U, so that there is a constant communication between the lower end of cylinder C and the condenser.

As indicated in Fig. 1, the valves are connected by suitable wrist-plates and pitmen to eccentrics mounted upon a shaft X, to which motion is imparted by means of abelt-wheel Y, driven by a belt Z. Any suitable form of valve-actuating mechanism may of course be employed.

In order to regulate the admission of steam to the passages 11 and I of the high-pressure cylinder, I employ a throttle-valve of the rotary reciprocating type. This valve is best shown in detail in Figs. 4 to 11, inclusive. With this construction steam enters the shell or casing G through a port A, which is connected to any suitable source of steam-supply.

B denotes the valve-stem, the upper end of which is positioned in a cap 0, while the lower end passes through a stufiing box formed in a bonnet D, secured to the lower end of the shell G. Rotary motion is imparted to said stem B by means of a handle or lever E, which is secured to a sleeve or collar F, journaledin the lower end of the bonnet and held therein by a nut. Said collar F is splined to the stem B, so that it must of necessity rotate with the collar when the latter is moved by the lever E. The lower end of the valve-stem Bis reduced and an exteriorly-threaded sleeve H is mounted thereon, the upper end of the sleeve bearing against a shoulder formed upon the valvestem B, while the sleeve is held in position upon the reduced portion of the stem by a nut I. A hand-Wheel J is formed integral with the sleeve and imparts rotary motion thereto.

As will be readily understood, as the sleeve H is screwed up into the collar F the valvestem B will of necessity be raised or moved endwise. In order to hold the stem in its adjusted position, a locking-block K is mounted in the collar F and forced inwardly against the sleeve H by a locking-screw L. The valve-stem is flattened at the portion thereof opposite the port or passage H, and the valve proper is secured to the stem at this point. The valve is provided with a face M, which works over a seat formed in the casing and normally closes the port or passage H when it is desired to shut off all steam from the high-pressure cylinder. The lower end of the valve is provided with an extended face N, having a pocket or recess 0 formed therein, (see Figs. 4, 6, and 8,) which pocket stands in line with the port or passage I.

By simply rotating the valve-stem B the valve-face M will be moved away from the port H and steam will be admitted to said port; but in order to permit steam to pass into the port or passage I it is necessary to impart an endwise movement to the valve in order that the pocket 0 may be brought into such position that it will communicate with passage H and port I at one and the same time.

As will be seen upon reference to Figs. 6, 7, and 8, the pocket or recess 0 extends to one side of the longitudinal center of the valveface M, and consequently it the valve-stem be rotated in such direction as to bring the face M over port 11 the solid portion of the lower valve-face N will likewise close the port or passage I. Thus it will be seen that although the valve be adjusted longitudinally to permit the steam to pass from the port 1 1 to the port I through the pocket 0 when the valveface M is so turned as to admit steam directly to said port I-I asimple rotation of the valvestem will effectually close both port-s when it is desired to cut off the supply thereof. By the longitudinal adjustment of the stem, and consequently the valve,(which is pinned thereto,) the amount of steam which may passinto the port or passage I, and consequently through the valve M to the lower end of the high-pressure cylinder, may be regulated as desired.

In Fig. 2 the parts are so positioned that the steam will act upon the upper face of both pistons and force the same down to deliver a stroke through the piston-rod D. The

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steam, of course, acts in the high-pressure cylinder upon the upper end of the piston E in the usual manner, and that which had'pre viously passed into the lower end of said cylinder through the valve M is exhausted or driven out through the valve into the receiver Q, whence it passes into the low-pres nary compoundengine.

Below the low-pressure piston F a constant vacuum is maintained. The stamp-shaft is thus driven downwardly by the force of the steam-pressure acting directly upon the upper face of the high-pressure piston, assisted by the accumulated pressure in the receiver Q acting upon the upper face ofthe low-pres During the upstroke'(after the first one) thereis a certain amount of back pressure in the receiver Q, which acts upon the upper face of the highpressure piston, requiring the admission of a small quantity of steam to the lower end of the cylinder in order to cause the stamp to lift to its proper height; but, as before noted, the pressure in the receiver (after a few strokes)becomes practically constant, and the valve-stem may be so adjusted longitudinally as to bring the pocket 0' into its proper position so as to admit only sufficient steam to elevate the stamp, the rod, and the two pistons connected thereto.

' It will of course be understood that the position of the valves is reversed from that shown in Fig. 2 when the stampis being lift-.

ed, so that steam passes into the high-pressure cylinder through the valve M and exhausts from the upper end thereof through the valve N, valves K and 0' being closed at this time. The valve R will likewise be closed and the exhaustvalve Sof the low-pressure cylinder will be open, so that the steam may be forced out from the upper end of the low pressure cylinder, thus relieving the piston working. therein from any "pressure which would tend to retard its upward movement.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the to the intensity of the blow delivered by the stamp, and itis obvious that a stronger blow maybe struck with cylinders arranged in this manner than if the low-pressure cylinder were double-acting and it was necessary to is evident that any throttle valve capable of adjustment so as to control the direct inlet of steam and also the adjustment of the steam in the act of lifting the stamp may be used' without departing from the spirit of my invention. .It is necessary, however, in order to obtain satisfactory results that the con-' struction of the main valve be such that it may be opened and closed without disturbing the relative opening of 'thevalve which controls the admission of steam to the lower face ofthe high-pressure piston for the'purpose of elevating thestamp.

Whileit is preferred to maintain a vacuum within the lower portion of the low-pressurecylinder, still the engine maybe run noncondensing, leaving the lower end of the lowpressure cylinder open to the atmosphere and'permitting the valve S to likewise exhaust'to the air. I

It is of course to be understood that any valve mechanism which will properly admit steam to and permit the same to exhaust from the cylinders may be employed, the 'use of'strictly'automatic valves with tripmechanism notbeing essential to my invention.

Again, itis to be understood that the terms upper and lower as employed in the claims with reference to the cylinders and the working parts of the' engine are used in'a relative sense only, as my invention is not limited to a vertical arrangement. however, preferable for obvious reasons.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is T 1. In'an engine for stamps and the like the combination of a highand a low pres'sure'cylinder; a piston mounted in'each of said cyl-' inders; a piston rod connected to said pis tons; means for admitting steam to the upper and lower ends of the high-pressure cylinder;

This is,

means foradmittin'g the exhaust-steam from Y to said pistons;.means for admitting'steam to the upper and lower faces of the piston in each ofsaid cylinders; a piston-rod common said high-pressure cylinder; means for con- I ducting the exhaust-steam from the highpressure cylinder to the upperend of the low-pressure cylinder; means for maintaining a vacuum in the low pressure cylinder beneath the lower face of the piston working therein; and a valve for permitting the steam to freely exhaust from the upper end of the low-pressure cylinder as the piston moves upwardly therein, substantially as described.

combination of a high-pressure cylinder; a low-pressure cylinder; a piston working in each o'fsaid cylinders; apiston-rod connected I30 3. In an engine for stamps and the like, the w to said pistons; means for admitting steam to 'the upper and lower ends of the high-pres sure cylinder; an inlet-valve for the upper end of the low-pressure cylinder; a receiver interposed between said valve and the exhaust-port of the high-pressure cylinder; an exhaust-valve for the upper end of the lowpressure cylinder; and a condenser in communication with said last-named valve and the lower end of the low-pressure cylinder.

at. In an engine forstamps and the like, the combination of a high-pressure cylinder and a low-pressure cylinder; and means for maintaining avacuum within the lower end of the low-pressure cylinder.

5. In an engine for stamps and the like, the combination of a high-pressure cylinder; a low-pressure cylinder; and means for maintaining a vacuum upon the lower face of the piston in the low-pressure cylinder and exhausting the steam from the upper face thereof when said piston is moving upwardly, substantially as described.

6. In an engine for stamps and the like, the combination of a high-pressure cylinder; a low-pressure cylinder; a piston working in each of said cylinders; a piston-rod common to said pistons; and a valve for controlling the admission of steam to said high-pressure cylinder, said valve having a port adjustable with relation to the inlet at the lower end of said highpressure cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. In an engine for stamps and the like, the combination of a high-pressure cylinder; a low-pressure cylinder; a piston mounted in each of said cylinders; a piston-rod common to said pistons; and a valve for controlling the admission of steam to said high-pressure cylinder, said valve having a port or opening therein controlling the passage of steam to the lower face of said high-pressure cylinder, the port being adjustable with relation to the opening through which the steam passes to said cylinder, whereby the port may be regulated to accommodate itself to working conditions, substantially as described.

8. In an engine for stamps and the like, the combination of a high-pressure cylinder and a low-pressure cylinder; a piston mounted in each of said cylinders; a piston-rod common to said pistons; a throttle-valve controlling the admission of steam to said high-pressure cylinder, said valve being movable lengthwise in its bearings and having a pocket or recess working over a port or opening lead ing to the lower end of the high-pressure cylinder, whereby on shifting the valve longitudinally the pocket may be brought into or out of register, to a greater or less extent, i

with said port or opening.

9. In an engine for stamps and the like, the

combination with a high and a low pressure cylinder; a piston mounted in each of said cylinders; a piston-rod common to said pistons; valves for controlling the admisson of steam to the upper and lower ends of said high-pressure cylinder; independent ports or passages leading to said valves; and a throttle-valve controlling said ports or passages, said valve being adjustable so as to control the quantity of steam passing to the lower face of the piston and thereby controlling the lift of the piston and the parts attached thereto.

10. In an engine for stamps and the like, the combination of a high-pressure cylinder; a low-pressure cylinder; a piston mounted in each of said cylinders; a piston-rod common to said pistons; valves for controlling the admission of steam to the upper and lower ends of said high-pressure cylinder; independent ports or passages leading to said valves; and a throttle-valve for controlling said ports or passages, said valve having a face to shut off the supply of steam to said ports, and likewise being provided with a pocket or recess through which steam is admitted to the passageleading to the valve controlling the lower end of the high-pressure cylinder, said throttle-valve beingadjustableindependentlyofits movement to completely shut off steam from the engine, whereby the pocket or recess may be shifted to admit a greater or less volume of steam to the port which it controls, substantially as and for the purpose described.

11. In an engine for stamps and the like, the combination of a high-pressure cylinder; a low-pressure cylinder; a piston mounted in each of said cylinders; a piston-rod common to said pistons; valves for controlling the admission of steam to the upper and lower ends of said high-pressure cylinder; independent ports or passages extending to said valves; a throttle-valve controlling said ports or pas sages, said valve being rotatable about its axis to cut 0E and turn on the supply of steam to the engine, and likewise movable longitudinally on its axis to regulate the volume of steam passing to the lower end of the cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

12. In an engine forstamps and the like, the combination of a cylinder; a valve for controlling the admission of steam to the upper and lower ends thereof respectively; inde' pendent ports or passages leading to said Valves; and a throttle-valve for controlling said ports or passages, said valve comprising a stem rotatably mounted within the valve shell or casing, means for rotating said stem, means for efiecting a longitudinal adjustment of said stem independent of its rotary movement, and a valve-face carried by the stem and movable therewith, said face being so formed as to shut off the steam from the ports or passages by a rotary movement of the stem and to efiect an adjustment of the passage of steam to the port or passage leading to the lower end of the high-pressure cylinder by an endwise adjustment of the stem, substantially as described.

13. In an enginefor stamps and the like, the combination of a steam-cylinder; a piston mounted and working therein; valves for controlling the admission of steam to the upper and lower ends, respectively, of said cylinder; independent ports or passages leading to saidvalves; and a throttle-valve for controlling the admission of steam to said ports or passages, said valve comprising a stem rotatably mounted within the shell or casing of the valve,means for rotating said stem, means for effecting a longitudinal movement of said stem independent of its rotary movement,and

a valve proper carried by and movable with said stem and working over the independent ports leading to the inlet-valves of the cylinder, said valve comprising faces M and N, the latter being provided with a pocket or recess O which works in line with the port or passage leading to the valve which controls the admission of steam to the lowerend of the cylinder. 1

14. In an engine for stamps and the like, the combination of a high pressure cylinder; valves for controlling the admission of steam to and its exhaust from said cylinder; a lowpressure cylinder; an inlet-valve and an exhaust-valve for the upper end of said cylinder; and means for maintaining a vacuum upon the lower face of the pistonworking within said low-pressure cylinder, said means being also in com munication with the exhaustvalve of said cylinder.

15. In an engine for stamps and the like, the combination of a high-pressure cylinder; a piston working therein; valves for controlling the admission of steam to and its exhaust communication with a passage formed around I and communicating with the lower end of the low-pressure cylinder, said condenser likewise communicating with the exhaustvalve of the low-pressure cylinder.

16. In an engine for stamps and the like, the combination of a double-acting high-pressure cylinder; a piston working therein; a

single-acting low-pressure cylinder; a piston workingtherein; means for conducting exv haust-stoam from the high-pressure cylinder to the low-pressure cylinder; and a pistonrod common to both of said pistons. p

17. A combined engine for stamps and the like, comprising a double-acting high-pressure engine; a single-acting low-pressure engine, said low-pressure engine having its cylinder open at the lower end and free from all steam-pressure, substantially as described; and a'piston-rod common to both engines.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BRUNO V. NORDBERGQ Witnesses:

E. O. BAYERLEIN, GEO. W. LOWE. 

